$7M designated for area road projects

Communities in Wayne and surrounding counties are among the 245 Indiana cities, towns and counties receiving matching funds for roads and bridges.

On Thursday, Indiana Department of Transportation and Gov. Mike Braun announced the recipients of more than $200 million in Community Crossings matching grants.

This was the first project call of the year. Communities can submit a new application or apply for additional funds to reach their maximum allocation in July. 

Nearby recipients and their amounts include:

• Wayne County: $97,627.14
• Richmond: $945,834.40
• Connersville: $389,162.22
• Fayette County: $1,500,000.00
• Henry County: $1,500,000.00
• Winchester: $1,114,907.70
• Union City: $99,675
• Union County: $1,398,352.50
• Laurel: $73,994.99

Richmond received its full funding request. Improving 13 streets is expected to cost a total of $1,891,668.80.

These are the roads city officials planned to pave in the first round of Community Crossings:

• South A Street between South 18th and South 23rd;
• Gaar Jackson Road between Salisbury and Round Barn;
• South Fourth Street between South I and South K;
• South Fourth Street from the dead end to South Q;
• North 15th Street between East Main and North E;
• North West L Street between North West Fifth and Salisbury Road;
• North West Fifth Street between West Main and Progress Drive;
• Sheridan Street between Richmond and Bridge avenues;
• South J Street between South Ninth and South 16th;
• South I Street between South 14th and South 16th;
• Hodgin Road between South 37th Street and Henley Road;
• Dorothy Lane from Henley Road to the dead end;
• Kensington Drive between South E and South G.

Wayne County often applies for less funding than many other communities. Because Wayne County uses its own employees instead of contracting the work to outside paving companies, Community Crossings will only reimburse material costs. 

“Upgrading our roadways not only fixes current issues but also prepares communities for future growth,” said Rep. Brad Barrett (R-Richmond) in a news release. “Many of our rural areas often need additional support to ensure their roads and bridges are in good shape. By making smart investments now, we’ll create safer, more efficient travel routes that support our communities for generations to come.”

State officials said the application process was highly competitive.

Funding for Community Crossings comes from the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund. Community Crossings has provided more than $2 billion for local road improvement projects since its inception in 2016.

Cities and towns with fewer than 10,000 residents and counties with fewer than 50,000 receive a 75% match. Larger communities receive 50%.

More information, including a list of all recipients of this funding round, is available at in.gov/indot/communitycrossings.